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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26334838">The Customer is Always Right</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ydysprosium/pseuds/ydysprosium'>ydysprosium</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Deathstroke the Terminator (Comics)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Coffee Lover Tim Drake, Coffee Shops, Community: dckinkmeme, Fluff and Humor, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:40:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>791</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26334838</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ydysprosium/pseuds/ydysprosium</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>All Tim wanted was a coffee, but when he notices the new barista looks extremely familiar, he makes his order complicated on purpose.  Because sometimes Tim can be evil.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>97</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Customer is Always Right</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>A/N: Based on an amazing DC Kink Meme prompt here: <br/> https://dckinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/1454.html?thread=2096302#cmt2096302</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The first thing Tim noticed when he stumbled into his favorite café was that the coffee smelled more heavenly than usual (but that could just be because he hadn’t slept in over 48 hours, and was overdue for a caffeine fix).  The second thing Tim noticed as he stepped up to order, was that the barista was different, a worker Tim had never seen before.  He was a huge towering wall of muscle, and his biceps flexed against the constraints of his shirt as he cleaned the coffee grinding machine.  Tim frowned.  The man looked vaguely familiar, but he just couldn’t place him.  Tim tried to think of all the huge muscle-bound men he knew who had long white hair that they kept neatly pulled back.  Perhaps he was a friend of Alfred’s.</p><p> </p><p>Tim cleared his throat.  The man turned, saw Tim, and seemed to visibly sigh.  Tim froze as he took in the man’s eyepatch and piercing blue eye.  There were very few people who looked exactly this this, and  Tim’s brain stopped for a few seconds, then rebooted, still processing the information that Deathstroke the Terminator was working at a café.  And it happened to be Tim’s favorite café too.  Tim wondered if what Dick had said about Slade being bad with money was true, and the man had to take a job as a barista, (especially since Tim and Dick had thwarted Slade’s last few contracts), or if he was undercover to kill someone.  He even had a nametag that said <em>Slade</em>, with a crooked e.  Tim stared for another minute, unable to help his jaw hanging open.</p><p> </p><p>“What do you want, kid?” Slade asked, sounding more like he was asking who Tim wanted killed rather than which coffee Tim wanted.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re new here,” Tim blurted out, and it came out higher pitched than he intended.</p><p> </p><p>“What does that have to do with anything?” Slade about growled.  “Yes, I’m new.”</p><p> </p><p>Tim ran a hand through his hair, hoping Slade didn’t notice it shaking.  He hadn’t seemed to recognize Tim, it seemed his civilian identity was still unknown to the Mercenary.  Either that or he wasn’t important enough for Slade to remember.  “It’s just that I usually have a pretty complicated coffee order,” Tim said, and normally he wouldn’t be such a jerk, but this was <em>Slade</em>. “I’d rather have one of the more experienced baristas make it, so it comes out right.”</p><p> </p><p>Slade slammed one of the metal cups on the counter.  “Just tell me what you want, kid, and I’ll make it.  How hard can it be?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll have the triple chocolate brownie, soy latte with 3 extra expresso shots,” Tim said.  “And whipped cream on top.”</p><p> </p><p>Slade gave him a withering glare, but set about making the coffee.</p><p> </p><p>Ten minutes later, Tim was called back to pick up his drink.  He took one look at the drink and sighed.  Tim took a sip and frowned.  Definitely drinkable, but not what he had asked for.</p><p> </p><p>“Something wrong?” Slade asked, looming over Tim menancingly.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” Tim said, and if it had been anyone else, Tim would have accepted the coffee as long as it had caffeine, but Slade deserved to be tormented.   “I asked for the triple chocolate brownie, but this tastes like mocha, and you forgot the whipped cream.”</p><p> </p><p>Slade grabbed the coffee out of Tim’s hands.  “Fine, I’ll make you another one,” he growled.</p><p> </p><p>“Shouldn’t it be free?” Tim asked.  “And shouldn’t you be kinder to the customers?  This place always has service with a smile.”</p><p> </p><p>Slade gave Tim a withering stare.  “Don’t push your luck, kid.”  Then he turned back to his work and cursed when he saw he had added too much soy milk and the cup had overflowed.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, and I just remembered,” Tim said in his most obnoxious entitled customer voice.  “I want sprinkles on top of the whipped cream.”</p><p> </p><p>Slade slammed Tim’s drink down on the counter in front of him.  “Now you’re just making shit up to fuck with me,” he growled. “We don’t have sprinkles.”</p><p> </p><p>Tim peered at the coffee.  Definitely a pale too much soy milk mess.  “Yes, you do, you just don’t know where they are,” he insisted.  “And make me a real coffee.  This is coffee flavored soy milk.”</p><p> </p><p>Slade grumbled angrily, and slammed his hand against one of the machines, but started remaking Tim’s order.</p><p> </p><p>Three tries later, Slade finally made a halfway acceptable coffee that Tim left with (mostly because as amusing as it was to torment Slade, Tim did in fact want his coffee, complete with whipped cream and sprinkles.)  And because Tim was truly evil, he snapped a quick photo of Slade working behind the counter and sent it to his brothers.</p>
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